All-American Classic blog

Be sure to check back early and often over the next several days, as this page will provide a running blog of notes, features and highlights from all of the events that are part of the Perfect Game All-American Classic. You can also follow updates via Twitter and Facebook and view photos of the event on Flickr.

Patrick Ebert – Sunday, August 10, 2014 – 11:07 PM PDT

The Game Recap from the 2014 Perfect Game All-American Classic is now available: 2014 Game Recap.

Also be sure to view the event's Flickr page for photos from the game and entire event.

The West continued its recent dominance in the Perfect Game All-American Classic beating the East 7-0 to pull ahead 7-4-1 in the all-time series. Lefthander Kolby Allard was named the game's MVP for his dominant performance in the second inning, striking out the side with a nasty 1-2 punch between his 94-95 mph fastball and 80-81 curveball.

We'll have the full game recap and box score up shortly.

In the meantime, here are the peak pitching velocities for the 18 pitchers that took the mound. Half of those threw at least 95 mph, and all threw 92 or better.

Congratulations to all of the All-Americans this year, not only for your performance on the field, but your performance of raising over $50,000 to support the fight against pediatric cancer and Rady Chidren's Hospital.

Brandt Stallings is the winner of the 2014 Perfect Game Home Run Challenge. Both he and Isiah Gilliam advanced to the second round of the finals after each hit two in the opening round. Isiah Gilliam, who batted righthanded in that first round, turned around and hit from the left side in the second round. After Gilliam didn't record a home run, Stallings hit one of his first swing, winning the challenge. Congratulations to Brandt, as we'll have more on this as part of tonight's game recap.

Jeff Dahn – Sunday, August 10, 2014 – 3:43 PM PDT

Top
coaches PG All-Americans, too
Sunday
wasn’t the first time veteran Virginia high school baseball coach
Tim Lowery walked into breath-taking Petco Park in downtown San Diego
wearing a uniform for the East Team at the Perfect Game All-American
Classic.
Lowery,
who has been the head coach in the Chesterfield (Va.) County School
district for 27 years – 19 at Clove HS, eight years at Cosby HS --
has been at the Classic in previous years, serving as an assistant
coach and throwing batting practice sessions, and loving every minute
of it. This is his first go-around as the East’s head coach,
however, which makes this adventure all the more special.
“It’s
a great experience for me and every year it’s always something
new,” Lowery said. “I get to hang around with some of the best
players in the country and it’s just a real honor; I feel very
privileged that people would pick me to come out here and do this.”
The
12th annual Perfect Game All-American Classic is set to be
played late Sunday afternoon in downtown San Diego, the sixth
straight year the high school all-star event is to be played at Petco
Park, the home of the Padres. Another large crowd of between 7,500
and 8,000 fans is expected.
The
prospects – 52 of them this year – are the stars of the show, of
course, but the coaches play a big role as well. While Lowery uses a
loose hand to keep things under control in the East dugout, PG AA
Classic rookie coach Brett Kay – the ninth-year head coach at
JSerra High School in San Juan Capistrano, Calif. – will oversee
the West dugout.
“I
am honored and flattered to be a part of this,” Kay said. “This
is as first-class of an event as I’ve been a part of and this is an
amazing experience for the players. For me, I’m kind of along for
the ride to help with facilitating and really get a chance to meet
some of the best players – if not all of the best players – in
the nation.”
Seventeen
prospects that played in the Classic a year ago were selected in the
first round of June’s 2014 MLB Draft, and while this year’s crop
might be hard-pressed to match that number there is certainly no
shortage of talent. The 56-year-old Lowery, who also helps coach the
powerhouse EvoShield Canes 17u team during the summer, enjoys
watching the way the talented youngsters interact with one another.
“The
camaraderie they have with each other and the way they talk, they
just become instant friends,” he said. “A lot of these guys are
going to be friends for the rest of their lives because they’re in
the same profession as they continue with their baseball careers;
it’s just great to see them make bonding friendships for a
lifetime.”
Kay,
who is 34 years old, has a ton of admiration for a veteran coach like
Lowery who can continue to relate to his teenage players on such an
even basis. Year in and year out He works hard at achieving that
himself.
“I’m
kind of that age level where it’s enjoyable for me,” he said. “Do
I feel like athletically my body might be falling apart, yes, but
with this I can kind of be on the same page with them. I get the
social media and the Twitter and all that stuff and I’ve had a good
time with these guys.”
To
Lowery’s way of thinking, it’s just a matter of recognizing the
individual strengths and weaknesses of each prospect, and acting on
the strengths. With this generation, it’s recognizing that they
might not be any more physically talented than those who preceded
them but they just might be a little smarter in certain areas.
“They’re
a lot more tech savvy so you have to come up with different ways to
communicate with them, and I think maybe that’s the key to it,”
he said. “Perfect Game does a great job with the tweeting and the
insta-grams and all those things – that’s just the way to get
through to the kids and get on their wave-length and understand what
they’re thinking.”
Kay
sees baseball as a game that is constantly evolving, particularly at
the amateur level. It is one of the reasons he finds his PG
All-American Classic head coaching assignment such a delightful one.
“These
guys have probably been traveling a lot all summer … and to see
them interact and to see the friendships they’re building, and for
me to just kind of hop along for the ride and watch them and be a
part of, it’s something I’ll remember for the rest of my life,”
he said. “These players are the best of the best and it’s fun to
see how they go about their daily activities and their daily
business.”
Lowery
has two sons still playing ball at very high levels with even high
levels still to be reached. The Cleveland Indians selected Jake
Lowery in the fourth round if the 2011 June amateur draft out of
James Madison University and d is now at Double-A Akron in the
Indians farm system; Luke Lowery is a rising junior at East Carolina
University.
Jake
and Luke obviously benefitted from their old man’s coaching through
the years, as have many other top Virginia high school prospects. So
just how much direction do you plan to provide your East
All-Americans tonight, Coach?“I
think it’s basically telling them whether to ‘Ho or Go’ at
third base,” Lowery said with a laugh. “It’s just talking to
them and understanding the game … but basically it’s their time
to shine. It’s all-star game – let’s have some fun and let’s
go after it, but the bottom line is I’m a competitor and I’d like
to win.”

Patrick Ebert – Sunday, August 10, 2014 – 1:13 PM PDT

2014 Perfect Game All-American Classic lineups

Here are the lineups and projected pitching orders for this year's Perfect Game All-American Classic. The West squad is the home team and hold a 6-4-1 series advantage over the East.

The players have arrived at Petco. Here are some pictures down on the field

The Rawlings helmets the players for the West squad will wear in the Padres home dugout

Cole McKay and Christifer Andritsos were the first to take the field

Members of the East showing off their Nike uniforms

Patrick Ebert – Sunday, August 10, 2014 – 10:58 AM PDT

Game Day!

Game day is upon us. The 2014 Perfect Game All-American Classic will be played at 5:00 pm PDT at Petco Park. First pitch is scheduled for 5:17 and the players are excited to take the field.

Prior to departing for the game the players will attend one last presentation, EvoShield's "Protecting the Game" summit in which Chuck Fox and R.J Harrison will speak with the players about some long-lasting keys to the game. The players will then have lunch, get on the bus and head to the stadium.

Warm-ups and batting practice will begin at 1:40 followed by a snack and then the final round of the Home Run Challenge.

The game itself will be available on MLB Network with Daron Sutton, Darryl Hamilton, David Rawnsley and Brett Dolan providing the analysis for everyone to enjoy. For the first time the game will also be available on satellite radio, with MLB Network Radio providing the broadcast. Mike Ferrin and myself will provide the commentary on Sirius 212 and XM 176. The game will be broadcasted again on radio at 8:00 pm Pacific on Sirius 209 and XM 89 in lieu of the usual weekly MLB Roundtrip Sunday night segment.

Jeff Dahn – Sunday, August 10, 2014 – 10:52 AM PDT

Cameron
honored with Jackie Robinson Award

It
was late December 2011 when Dazmon Cameron arrived at the Perfect
Game National Underclass Showcase-Main Event in Fort Myers, Fla., and
the wide-eyed 14-year-old spoke with PG for the first time.“It’s
been a good experience because I’m still really young,” Cameron
said after taking batting practice at the event nearly three years
ago. “To see these guys even let me come out here at my age, I’m
thankful for that. I’ve got to have some fun but at the same time
I’ve got to compete, because these guys are older than me. I’ve
just got to play my game.”

Daz
Cameron, now a 17-year-old senior at Eagles Landing Christian Academy
in McDonough, Ga., and a Florida State commit, kept playing his game
at an extremely high level since that 2011 PG showcase, and now has
been recognized for it.

The
2014 Perfect Game All-American Classic Awards Banquet was held
Saturday night at the San Diego Hall of Champions and while seven of
the 52 All-Americans were honored with individual achievement awards,
Cameron took home the most coveted of them all: The Jackie Robinson
Award, given annually to the prospect Perfect Game recognizes as it’s
National High School Player of the Year.

“It’s
an honor, man – it’s Jackie Robinson,” Cameron said shortly
after receiving his trophy. “It’s great to be named the Jackie
Robinson Award Player of the Year; it’s just great.”

Cameron’s
reception of the Jackie Robinson Award brought to a conclusion an
emotional evening in which San Diego’s Rady Children’s Hospital –
the PG All-American Classic’s beneficiary – shared the stage and
the spotlight with the talented young prospects.

The
banquet started with a riveting and powerful address from a father
whose young daughter was first diagnosed with a rare form of cancer
at 10-months-old and today – thanks to the remarkable medical staff
at Rady and fund-raising efforts not unlike those performed by the PG
All-Americans – is a healthy, happy 2-year-old. There wasn’t a
dry eye in the house.

A
video was shown of smiling Rady Children’s Hospital patients,
delivering a clear message of hope and healthy lives. That video led
into one showing this year’s All-Americans on their visit to Rady,
along with the fun-filled, two-hour visit to PG All-American Classic
Honorary Chairman Trevor Hoffman’s oceanside beach house, both
which took place on Friday.After
dinner, every prospect received a crystal statuette to recognize his
selection, and the individual awards were handed out. And the winners
were:

This
marks the second straight year – and third time in the last four
years – that the Jackie Robinson Award went to the son of a former
big-leaguer: Nick Gordon (son of Tom Gordon) won in 2013 and Lance
McCullers Jr. (Lance McCullers Sr.) won in 2011. Clint Frazier was
the 2012 winner.
Cameron
is the son of 17-year MLB standout Mike Cameron.

“It’s
been interesting since I retired to see (Daz) move up into the upper
echelon of the talent of these young men that are playing today,”
Mike Cameron told PG on Father’s Day in June. “Some of it’s
starting to payoff, a lot of the hard work that at least I’ve had
the chance to put in with him on a daily basis. … It’s been a
blessing, a blessing in disguise for me.”

“It’s
unbelievable to be listed in a group of such great players,” he
said. “They’re all great players and they all play the game hard,
and to be listed as one of those great players is just a great
thing.”
Every
one of the prospects honored Saturday night will next move into their
senior season in high school and then onto either college or
professional careers. Even the best know their jobs are far from
finished.
“There
is always a lot more hard work to put in; that’s the way you’re
supposed to go about the game,” Cameron said. “Working hard plays
a big role in this game and staying humble is a big part, too.”

Patrick Ebert – Saturday, August 9, 2014 – 10:12 PM PDT

Brendan Rodgers receives the Rawlings Defensive Player of the Year award from Brett Dolan and Jerry Ford

2014 Perfect Game All-American Classic dinner banquet

The annual dinner banquet as part of the Perfect Game All-American Classic was conducted on Saturday evening at the San Diego Hall of Champions. Daron Sutton served as the emcee while San Diego Padres great Trevor Hoffman was the Honorary Chairman. Here are the award recipients:

The
bus carrying 52 of the 54 Perfect Game All-Americans arrived at
hilltop Fowler Park on the University of San Diego campus at about
9:30 Saturday morning, with the players rolling in from their
headquarters at the Marriott Mission Valley Hotel.
At
roughly the same time, the other two players – both Texans and
members of the PG All-American Classic West Team – arrived at USD
having started their morning in Farmington, N.M. Not surprisingly,
Fort Worth, Texas, outfielder Trenton Clark and Keller, Texas,
infielder Lucas Wakamatsu wouldn’t have changed a thing.
Clark
and Wakamatsu are members of the Dallas-based D-BAT Gallegos team
that early Saturday morning claimed the championship at the
long-running Connie Mack World Series in Farmington by beating the
13-time CMWS champion Midland Redskins, 7-5, in the deciding
championship game.
The
second of the two title games in Farmington didn’t end until 12:30
Saturday morning, and from there the D-Bat team retreated to a
restaurant for a celebratory pizza party. The festivities lasted
until around 2:30 when the team hopped on a bus for the long ride
back to Dallas – except for Clark and Wakamatsu who returned to the
hotel to grab all of about 2 hours of sleep.
From
there it was off to the airport in Durango, Colo. – about an hour
drive – for a flight to San Diego with a quick stop in Phoenix. The
flight left Durango at 6:30 a.m. MDT and arrived in San Diego at
around 9 a.m. PDT; the duo arrived at Fowler Park on the USD campus
at about 10 a.m.
It
was a whirlwind but it was worth it.
“That
was the best baseball experience I’ve had in my life,” Clark said
while trying on his new Nike cleats inside the visitor’s dugout at
Fowler Park. “From the host families to the way the treat you, it’s
first class all the way. It’s a baseball town and everyone loves
baseball; the fans really come out and cheer their butts off.”
Speaking
from the same dugout, Wakamatsu added: “It was an unbelievable
experience I feel extremely blessed to be there. I’m happy for my
team winning it and it’s been shocking really; it really hasn’t
hit me yet.”
Their
CMWS obligation cut in half the amount of time Clark and Wakamatsu
got to enjoy everything associated with the PG All-American Classic,
and they missed the Friday visits to the Rady Children’s Hospital
and an enviable lunch trip to the Pacific Ocean beach house of former
San Diego Padres MLB All-Star Trevor Hoffman.
There
is still plenty to take in, of course, including the start of the PG
AA Classic Home Run Challenge Saturday morning and Saturday night’s
PG AA Classic Awards Banquet at the San Diego Hall of Champions. And,
of course, Sunday afternoon’s 12th annual Perfect Game
All-American Classic at the Padre’s spectacular Petco Park
downtown.
“We
couldn’t wait to get here,” Clark said. “We were excited to win
(the Connie Mack championship) but we were excited to get here, too.
We’re pumped and ready to go for this.”
“I’m
extremely happy to be here and excited to play with the best talent
in the nation,” Wakamatsu said. “Just being around these great
players and just knowing what they do (and) seeing what they do, and
getting to know them and really just playing against them is a lot of
fun.”
Clark
is ranked No. 35 nationally in the 2015 class and is known for his
fast bat and fast feet. After being on the scene for less than an
hour it was obvious he was very much in his element.
“I’m
really looking forward to meeting all the guys and picking a couple
of guys brains; just seeing what they do,” Clark said. “These are
the best players in our class in the country in our class and I like
to be around them. I like picking guys' brains and seeing what they
do at the plate, see what their approach is and just watch some
freaks of nature do their thing.”
Clark
himself uses a unique grip on the bat that caught the eyes of scouts
and others in attendance, including PG President Jerry Ford. The grip
resembles one a golfer might use when handling a driver with the
thumbs extended upward.
According
to Clark, it was during his freshman year in high school when an
“old-school” coach noticed that his knuckles weren’t probably
aligned on the bat and suggested he grip it like a golf club.
Something clicked.
“I
just started liking it, so I did it every day in the cage and it
started translating into the game,” he said. “I got going on a
hot streak with it so I just kept it up; I’ve used it since my
freshman year and I love it. It makes me feel like I have way more
bat control and I can put the bat where ever I want.”
Wakamatsu,
ranked No. 46 nationally, has been playing with the D-BAT
organization for about three years and described his association as
“awesome.”
“I’ve
been playing with a lot of good talent on my team and we’ve been
playing a lot of good talent, so it’s been fun,” he said.
But
the biggest influence on Wakamatsu’s baseball life has been his
father Don, a former big league catcher and manager of the Seattle
Mariners who is currently on the Kansas City Royals’ coaching
staff.
“He’s
been my coach since I was little and he’s taught me a lot about the
game and how to respect it,” Wakamatsu said of his dad. “I was
able to be in the clubhouse a lot when he managed the Mariners, and
it’s been amazing, really.”
The
CMWS championship is now a lifelong memory for Clark and Wakamatsu.
What lies ahead late Sunday afternoon could quite possibly create an
even more indelible memory.

“I
feel like I’m going to enjoy myself a lot, just going out there and
being relaxed and calm, and just having fun, really,” Wakamatsu
said. “That’s what my dad taught me was just to have fun no
matter what.”

Patrick Ebert – Saturday, August 9, 2014 – 3:02 PM PDT

Luken Baker watches one of his six home runs sail over the fence

Baker, Rodgers and Stallings advance to the final round of the Home Run Challenge

On Saturday the PG All-Americans started their day with a light workout prior to the first round of the Home Run Challenge. Batting practice was conducted first prior to kicking off the challenge, with three players hitting six home runs each to advance to the finals. The final round of the Challenge will be conducted prior to the beginning of tomorrow's game at Petco Park.
The three players that will advance are Luken Baker, Brendan Rodgers and Brandt Stallings. Baker had the most majestic home runs of the trio, routinely clubbing the ball well over the fence in left and left-center field. Baker won the high school part of the Home Run Derby conducted as part of Major League Baseball's All-Star Game at Target Field in Minneapolis in mid-July.

Rodgers continues to hit the ball here in San Diego, as he did in the first round of batting practice on Friday and the entire summer prior to this event. Stallings also has hit the ball well this summer.

One other player, to be determined, will also be selected to participate in the finals. Here are the other players that hit home runs in the first round of the challenge:

Donny Everett started Friday's scrimmage for the EastPG
All-Americans take the field

While
Friday was full of excitement for the PG All-American class of 2014,
after fun-filled visits to Rady Children's Hospital and Trevor
Hoffman's oceanside beach house, it was evident that the players were
anxious to finally take the field on Friday night.

The
first practice, which consistented of each team taking a round of
batting practice and infield before playing a six-inning scrimmage,
was held at Fowler Park at Cunningham Field on the University of San
Diego's stunning campus.

Willie
Burger, the first batter to take to the cage, wasted no time making
an impression, hitting several balls hard to all parts of the field.
Brendan
Rodgers stole the show in his second round of BP, hitting seven of
the eight balls out of the ballpark. Perfect Game President Jerry
Ford astutely pointed out Rodgers' natural ability to add backspin to
the ball, with his first few home runs looking like routine yet deep
flies to center field, and yet they just continued to carry. The rest
of them were no-doubters that were absolutely crushed, with most of
them traveling well over the wall in left-center field. Rodgers bat
speed continues to be incredibly obvious as he is enjoying a
tremendous summer while routinely exhibiting why he is ranked the No.
2 player in this class.
Other
East hitters that stood out in BP include Isiah Gilliam, who hit the
ball consistently hard with the ball making a different sound off of
the bat even amongst this talented group of players.
Cornelius
Randolph's power potential is also obvious as a lefthanded hitter who
also has a knack for barreling up the ball on a consistent basis.
The
powerfully built Daniel Reyes also continued to hit the ball hard,
crushing one ball well over the wall in straightaway center.
Chris
Betts of the West, a lefthanded hitter, put great loft on the balls
he hit, as he usually does.
Mitchell
Hansen, a very gifted all-around athlete, has a really quick bat with
a loose and easy swing and plenty of room for added strength as he
matures physically.
The
power in Greg Pickett's swing also continues to be extremely evident
every time he takes the plate, carrying over a very successful
showing at the PG National as well as numerous PG-based tournaments
to his round of BP here in San Diego.
Cadyn
Grenier wasted no time in the six-inning scrimmage to make an
impression, drilling a low-90s fastball out of the hand of Donny
Everett to the gap in right-center for a triple. After Wyatt Cross
drew a walk, Parker Kelly brought Grenier home with a single through
the hole on the left side of the infield.
Grenier
continued to shine on the field defensively, making a really nice
scoop on a sharply hit ground ball in the second while cleanly and
quickly starting a slick 4-6-3 double play at second base later in
the game.
The
West maintained their 1-0 lead until the bottom of the fifth inning
when Cornelius Randolph led off the frame with a walk. Two batters
later, Austin Riley also drew a free pass before Tristin English
smashed a single up the middle to drive in Randolph and tie the game.
One
batter later, Elih Marrero absolutely drilled a booming RBI double to
the gap in left-center field, scoring Riley to put the East squad
ahead 2-1.
In
one of the more odd plays we have ever seen, Marrero was technically
picked off second base after he “successfully” stole third base,
even though Tristin English occupied the base. Marrero quickly
scampered back to second and nearly avoided the throw to tag him out.
One had to guess that Marrero thought his blast had scored both
runners that were on base prior to his hit.
Other
base hits in the scrimmage came off the bats of Daniel Reyes, who
crushed a triple to the gap in right-center, and Nick Fortes, who did
what he always does by getting his barrel on the ball and recording a
base hit through the hole on the left side for a single.
Kyle
Dean gave the scrimmage an added web gem by making a great diving
catch in the third inning to rob Jahmai Jones of a base hit.
As
noted above, Donny Everett, who is unable to participate in Sunday's
game due to Tennessee high school rules, started the scrimmage for
the East squad. He did a nice job getting on track after giving up a
triple, a walk and a single to open up the game by striking out the
last two batters he faced in the first inning on 95 and 92 mph
fastballs respectively.
Overall
Everett worked three innings, allowing just the one run while sitting
in the 92-94 range early in the game, peaking at 95 a few times. He
also threw a very sharp power curveball in the 76-77 range while also
showing the ability to pull the string on a 82-84 mph changeup.
Two
pitchers that were not selected to participate in this year's Classic
did take the mound in the scrimmage to keep the primary pitchers that
were selected to the game fresh for Sunday.
Jonathan
Buckely, a 2015 righthander from Chino, Calif., worked three
scoreless innings for the West squad to open the game. Buckely
commanded his sinking 85-87 fastball very well and mixed in a solid
71-72 mph curveball.
Chris
Davidson, a 2015 lefthander from Pasadena, worked the final three
frames for the East. Davidson also went unscathed in his outing,
mixing well between his 83-84 mph fastball and 74-75 mph breaking
ball.
Two-way
talents Parker Kelly, Ryan Johnson, and Ke'Bryan Hayes each threw an
inning for the West.
Kelly
was throwing 83-85 fastballs with late life and his break-and-butter
sharp 73-75 mph curveball.
Johnson,
who was up to 94 at the National Showcase in mid-June threw in the
87-90 mph range on this day with his own big, slow breaking 73-75 mph
curve.
Hayes
also threw a similar breaking pitch, although used mostly 87-89 mph
fastballs to get through his scoreless inning to close out the
scrimmage.

Play ball! The first practice for the All-Americans kicked off at 6 pm on Friday evening at the beautifully renovated Fowler Park and Cunningham Field on the campus of the University of San Diego. The practice started promptly with a round of batting practice, which will be followed by a scrimmage between the East and West teams.

Nike Baseball of course was on hand and continued to show their creativity and innovation in the products they produce by presenting the players with new cleats, gloves and sunglasses.

Patrick Ebert – Friday, August 8, 2014 – 5:02 PM PDT

As great as the great is collected in San Diego to participate in the 2014 Perfect Game All-American Classic, we at Perfect Game are quick to point out the importance of giving back, and have supported efforts to eradicate pediatric cancer since the game's inception in 2003. Rady Children's Hospital has been the beneficiary of the event since the Classic came to San Diego in 2006, and on Friday morning the players, coaches and other staff members for the event took the annual tour of the hospital and spent time with the patients. One thing that was evident, there was not a single person there who did not have a smile from ear to ear.

Trevor Hoffman, the Honorary Chairman for the Classic, has long supported the efforts at Rady Children's Hospital, and was kind enough to invite the members of this year's Classic to his oceanside beach house for lunch. After the players enjoyed Mahi Mahi fish tacos, they took to the beach to brave the waves, with a few picking up a surfboard to see how they fared on the water.

Hoffman himself took to the beach to play sand volleyball with the players, with everyone rotating in and out in groups to enjoy their time under the brilliant California sun.

On Thursday after the PG All-Americans checked in an enjoyed the welcome dinner, they split into groups to be part of special Nike Baseball focus group as well as a presentation by EvoShield.

On Friday the All-Americans were able to meet with select members of the Rawlings team to create custom gloves, and also were treated to a pair of Oakley sunglasses. Perfect Game would like to thank all of our partners for being a part of the PG All-American Classic.

To view pictures from all of the activities, including those from Thursday's Nike Baseball focus groups and the EvoShield presentation, please visit the event's Flickr page.

Patrick Ebert – Friday, August 8, 2014 – 3:22 PM PDT

If you don't already be sure to follow all of the activities this year's PG All-Americans are enjoying by following the official Twitter handle, @PGAllAmerican. Pictures from today's visits to Rady Children's Hospital and Trevor Hoffman's beach house are included. Also check out the daily picture recaps on Facebook as well to get a taste for the things the PG All-Americans get to experience.

Jeff
Dahn – Thursday, August 7, 2014 – 8:30 PM PDT

Jerry Ford presents Daniel Reyes with the award for the top hitter at the 2014 PG National Showcase
2014
Classic officially launched at Welcome Dinner

The
players and coaches that will play central roles at this year’s
Perfect Game All-American Classic were officially introduced at the
annual Welcome Dinner Thursday night, held in one of the large
meeting rooms at the Marriott San Diego Mission Valley Hotel.

The
more than 50 prospects gathered for an introductory dinner that
featured sirloin steak, fish fillets, rice dishes, broasted potatoes,
steamed asparagus and whole baby carrots, lettuce and spinach salads,
dinner rolls and a variety of deserts that guaranteed no one left
hungry.

The
after-dinner program featured remarks from Perfect Game founder and
president Jerry Ford who congratulated the players and urged them to take pride in
being recognized as the “best of the best” in their national high
school class and for being selected for amateur baseball’s most
prestigious all-star contest.

He
also reminded them while the Sunday evening, nationally televised
game is important to their baseball futures, their fund-raising efforts for Rady Children’s
Hospital-San Diego trumped anything they will accomplish on the
field.

“This
is all about the cause and we want you guys to keep that in mind all
the time that you’re here,” Ford said. “It will really hit home
with you when you visit the (Rady) Children’s Hospital (Friday
morning), and the best thing about this game is the cause; really,
that’s what it’s all about.”

In
his comments, Ford pointed out that the two starting pitchers in the
inaugural All-American Classic held in 2003 in Fort Myers, Fla., were
current Cincinnati Reds right-hander Homer Bailey and the late Nick
Adenhart, who was tragically killed in a drunken driver-related
traffic accident after a start with the Los Angeles Angels in 2009.

They
are two of 89 alumni of the PG All-American Classic that went on to
play in the big leagues, including the last two National League MVPs:
Buster Posey and Andrew McCutchen. Additionally, nearly 150 PG AA
Classic alumni went on to be drafted in the first round of the MLB
amateur draft.

“As
I sit here and talk to this group, history has pretty much shown that
one of every three of you guys is going to be a first-rounder. Think
about that for a minute,” Ford said. “One out of three of all of
you guys sitting here – if it’s like every other year – is
going to be a first-rounder. … It’s just unbelievable.”

Six
PG All-Americans were recognized for their standout performances at
the 2014 Perfect Game National Showcase held in June in Fort Myers,
Fla., including three from Georgia and two from Florida. They are:

As noted in the entry just below, here is a picture of the catching gear and the bats provided by PG All-American Classic sponsors Nike Baseball and Louisville Slugger.

Jeff
Dahn – Thursday, August 7, 2014 – 5:30 PM PDT

West’s
Dean first to arrive, first to depart

West
Team outfielder and San Diego hometown hitman Kyle Dean was the first
player to check-in and register Thursday morning for this weekend’s
Perfect Game All-American Classic and immediately showed why he one
of the country’s best high school ballplayers in the class of 2015
by pulling off a remarkable balancing act.

Dean,
a 6-foot-1, 205-pound senior at San Diego’s famed Rancho Bernardo
High School, put forth a skilled effort of simultaneously savoring
the moment while also keeping an eye on the clock. He needed to get
checked-in as quickly as possible before hitting the road for a drive
north to Long Beach where he would play in a 2 p.m. game at the Area
Code Games.

“I’m
really supposed to be there by 12, but that’s obviously not going
to happen,” Dean said with a smile while he autographed PG
All-American Classic baseballs in one of the meeting rooms at the
grand Mission Valley Marriott Hotel. “This is a good excuse for
being late, I guess.”

The
whole registration process that sets into motion a phenomenal
four-day experience for the young prospects is, in itself, a sight to
behold. Players arrive with their families throughout the day and go
through the wrist-cramping procedure of putting their signatures to
12 team posters, four dozen baseballs and 56 black PG All-American
Classic Louisville Slugger baseball bats.

“I
really haven’t even processed it all,” Dean said. “I have to
sign so much stuff it’s like I’m a superstar and I haven’t even
done anything or even touched a baseball yet; it’s really cool. You
get to sign baseballs; you get gear – custom bats, custom
everything. This is definitely something I want to do again when I
get older.”

One
of the coolest parts of the whole registration process is watching
the players reignite friendships with their fellow prospects from all
across the country. They exchange hugs and fist-bumps, smiles and
stories with a familiar ease, brought together once again under
baseball’s wide umbrella.

And
there, taking it all in while making sure to stay in the background,
are the proud parents. Thursday morning it was Andrea Dean glowing
with pride as her son laid down signature after signature.

“This
is so amazing. It is just so amazing,” she said. “He’s still my
little boy and yet by being successful you can look at the trajectory
he’s gone on just by doing well. Luck has been a part of it but
then all the hours he’s put in have been (justified). Perfect Game
has been so incredibly awesome with all that they’ve done for him
and just helping along the way.”

Other
players soon began arriving behind Dean. West squad teammates Justin
Hooper from San Ramon, Calif., and Beau Burrows from Weatherford,
Texas, grabbed their Sharpies and started signing. East Team members
Jahmai Jones (Roswell, Ga.), Brendan Rodgers (Longwood, Fla.) and
Ashe Russell (Indianapolis) followed suit.

Dean
takes his duties as event host seriously.

“I’m
looking forward to showing all the East players what San Diego is all
about,” he said. “I want to show them this beautiful weather and
show them what San Diego is and all its ins-and-outs. There are a lot
of my friends coming to the game and that’s what’s going to be
the most important.

“Now
I just have to go out there and do well but not put any pressure on
myself. It’s going to be fun; I’m looking for to it.”

Added
his mom: “This is his hometown and he gets to be the host in his
hometown and at his ballpark. It’s a really cool venue and to be
able to be a part of this is fantastic.”

The
PG All-American Classic will be played Sunday at 5 p.m. (PDT) at the
San Diego Padres’ Petco Park. The game itself brings to a
conclusion four days of activities that includes the much-anticipated
visit to event beneficiary Rady Children’s Hospital Friday morning.

This
year’s schedule also includes a special lunch invitation to the
beach house of former Padres’ All-Star closer and PG All-American
Classic Honorary Chairman Trevor Hoffman Friday afternoon.

Practices,
scrimmages and the opening rounds of the Home Run Derby will be held
at the University of San Diego. The annual PG All-American Classic
Awards Banquet will be Saturday night at the San Diego Hall of
Champions.

It
is really a lot to absorb in a short amount of time and it is always
thrilling to watch how each and every one of the young men involved
indelibly come across as the classiest of acts.

“This
has just been so fun; It’s been great to see him be successful and
to watch him grow in all of this,” Andrea Dean said. “He’s
still just a kid but then he gets on the field with the other best
players in the country and he performs. You watch all of his other
really good friends come out and just give it everything they have
and it’s such a great thing to watch … and to have them rise to
their competition.”

Patrick
Ebert – Wednesday, August 6, 2014 – 6:43 AM PDT

Jackie
Robinson Finalists released
The
Jackie Robinson Award,named for the late Major League Baseball Hall
of Famer and former Brooklyn Dodger, is awarded annually to the
Perfect Game National Player of the Year – the All-American
considered the nation’s top high school prospect. The award is
presented to the player who exhibits outstanding character,
leadership, is involved in his community and embodies the values of
being a student-athlete.
Jackie
Robinson came from humble beginnings as the son of a sharecropper in
Cairo, Georgia, to become the first black player to break Major
League Baseball’s color barrier that had segregated the sport for
more than 50 years. Jackie Robinson was not only a skilled baseball
player, he was an excellent all-around athlete. At UCLA, Robinson
became the first athlete to win varsity letters in four sports:
Baseball, football, basketball and track.
After
attending UCLA, Robinson briefly served in the U.S. Army, and after
receiving an honorable discharge, he played one season in Negro
Baseball League in 1945. Two years later in 1947, Robinson was
approached by the Brooklyn Dodgers about joining their franchise.
When he donned their uniform, he not only became the first black
player in Major League Baseball since the sport was segregated in
1889, he pioneered the integration in professional sports in America.
Through his integration, Robinson courageously challenged the racism
that existed in both the north and the south in America at that time.
At the end of Robinson’s rookie season with the Dodgers, he won the
National League batting title (.342) on his way to earning the
league's Rookie of the Year and MVP honors.
Robinson
was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1962 and was inducted
into UCLA’s Hall of Fame in 1984.
On
April 15, 1997, exactly 50 years after he broke the color barrier in
Major League Baseball, the entire nation honored his legacy.
Robinson’s No. 42 jersey number was retired league-wide, the first
and only player to earn this honor. That same day, President Bill
Clinton paid tribute to Robinson at the New York Mets’ Shea Stadium
in a special ceremony. Robinson was also honored by the United States
Postal Service that year with a commemorative postage stamp.

Jackie
Robinson’s life and legacy will continue to be remembered as one of
the most important in American history.

The
first recipient of the award was Justin Upton in 2004, the second
year of the Classic. Nicholas Gordon, the No. 5 overall pick in this
year's draft and now a member of the Minnesota Twins organization,
received the honor last year.

Patrick
Ebert -- Wednesday, August 6, 2014 -- 6:08 AM PDT Wyatt
Cross at the 2013 PG Underclass All-American GamesScout
schedule
The
full schedule for baseball-related activities for the 2014 Perfect
Game All-American Classic can be found here.
Included on that page is the schedule for the 2014 PG Underclass
All-American Games which will be conducted the two days after the
Classic, Monday and Tuesday August 11 and 12. The event will be held
at the University of San Diego's Fowler Park and Cunningham Field
(Google Maps are also included on that page).
This
annual event is held in conjunction with the Classic to showcase some
of the very best players in future graduating classes. Last year,
nine of this year's All-Americans (John Aiello, Willie Burger, Wyatt
Cross, Drew Finley, Ke'Bryan Hayes, Jonathan Indian, Parker Kelly,
Patrick Sandoval, Nick Shumpert) participated, and seven of those
were named to the event's top prospect list.

In
other words, this year's PG Underclass All-American Games will serve
as a preview of some of the players we can expect to see in next
year's Classic.

Patrick
Ebert -- Wednesday, August 6, 2014 – 5:56 AM PDT

Welcome
to the Perfect Game All-American Classic blog, and congratulations to
all of the players, friends and family members involved with the
Classic.

Visit
the Roster
page to access the individual player profiles, as well as the History
page to learn more about the previous 11 games played including the
inaugural event in 2003. The Scout
page provides the daily schedule of baseball-related activities,
including those for the 2014 PG Underclass All-American Games. And of
course, don't forget to tune into MLB Network, as well as MLB Network
Radio, at 5:00 pm PDT on Sunday for the game itself.